A Lovely Shade of Beige
by Snorcackle
Summary: Nyssa decides that she really rather likes the color scheme that the Doctor has going on. 5/Nyssa. Set between Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity.


**AN:** I can't help it. I just think that they'd be _perfect_ together. I wanted to try something from her perspective for a change, though, so, voila. There you have it. I don't own these characters.

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So much had changed since Nyssa had first met the Doctor. Her home planet had been destroyed. Tegan had both joined them and been left behind again. Adric had perished in an act of bravery that Nyssa couldn't possibly have predicted. Nyssa herself had discovered psychic abilities. Yes, much had changed, not the least of which was that mad man she had flown away with.

When Nyssa first joined, he had seemed so much _older_ and, fashion-wise, much more colorful, much more maroon with much _less_ celery. He had been silly, yet careful; strange, yet respected. Now he was young and spirited. Now he was just a bit impetuous in an effort to save the day.

Now he was beige.

Nyssa didn't mind beige. She herself was particularly fond of brown; indeed, the two colors seemed to complement each other beautifully. She could simply imagine the deep chestnut hues of her jacket against the light tan of his frock coat, or his pale blond hair entangled with her own brown curls…

She awoke from her reverie with a start. Certainly there were more important things to think about than the Doctor's frock coat. For instance, she could think about where exactly the Doctor intended to go today and if, perhaps, they would end up in yet another dire circumstance. It certainly seemed like a logical possibility, given previous experience. Yes, that was likely. A nice, dangerous planet. A nice, dangerous, _beige_ planet.

Damn it.

She shook the thought away as she headed to the console room. Sure enough, there was the Doctor, that beautiful beige man whom she travelled with alone. Quite completely alone. She swallowed the lump in her throat in an attempt to concentrate on more pressing matters. "And where are we off to today, Doctor?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I set the coordinates for Betelgeuse," he replied, his eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on the panel in front of him, "but one can never be sure. Goodness knows how many times I missed Heathrow."

Nyssa forced a laugh. "So long as we aren't attacked the minute we step outside the TARDIS, I'm sure it will be lovely."

"One can only hope." The corners of his mouth turned directly upwards. As his eyes flitted towards the scanner, his smile grew. Obviously, they'd landed where he'd intended to land for once. He dashed out the door, his striped pants contrasting beautifully with the stark white of the room.

Nyssa's reaction was not nearly as enthusiastic. Indeed, she could feel her face draining of color as she turned her head. One look at the scanner let her know that the planet was decidedly plain, with large expanses of pale sand and skies that reflected it. The nearest visible buildings were of clay, and the people seen walking down the streets all seemed to blend in to one another as their muslin clothing laid remarkably still on their uniformly tan personas.

In short, it was incredibly beige.

As she trudged out of the TARDIS doors, Nyssa sighed. Here she was, trying to ignore that hue, and he had gone and chosen a planet full of it. The Doctor beamed away at the streets in front of him, evidently pleased with himself. He turned his grin down to her, offering his arm to walk down the street. She obliged, although she still felt some degree of frustration.

Betelgeuse really was a lovely planet, Nyssa had to admit. The people were kind, and, despite the lack of natural vegetation, the streets had a fragrance like no other. In a way, it nearly reminded her of Traken.

For a reason she couldn't explain, this very reminder made her even more frustrated. Hopefully, she could hide it, keep her cheeks from flushing, keep her brown jacket from clinging uncomfortably to her body and arms in her sweat. The sun was not particularly bright, and the people walking past did not seem too warm, but Nyssa's nerves continued to make her skin clammy.

"Nyssa, is something wrong?"

Oh, dear. Judging by the concern on the Doctor's face, the frustration was more evident than she had suspected. She simply shut her eyes and shook her head quickly, hoping he wouldn't ask again.

Of _course_ that wouldn't deter him, she realized. "If something is wrong, you really ought to let me know. After all," he said, flashing a smile, "I _am_ a doctor."

"No, no," Nyssa replied, rubbing her fingers against her temples. "In fact, I imagine everything is working quite well. It's a simple fact of biology, really." She couldn't help herself from pouring everything out, from being explained as she was finally just understanding herself. "The need to preserve a species is a prevalent, particularly among members who are at a prime mating age. Based on the current circumstances, I would suppose that having a dwindling or non-existent species increases that need, although I couldn't possibly back that up."

The Doctor nodded until he fully grasped what she had just said, at which point his brow furrowed, his lips pursed, and his cheeks grew to a rather bright shade of pink. Nyssa couldn't help but giggle just a tad at his expression. "Does that mean you want to…?" His voice got squeaky. "With…? _Now_?"

"Oh, no, not now," Nyssa blurted out quickly. "We're in the middle of the _street_, after all-"

She was cut off rather suddenly by his lips coming into contact with her own. It was abrupt, awkward, but for some reason she didn't mind too much. He was cool to the touch, which seemed odd considering how many layers he was wearing. Again, it didn't particularly bother her. When he finally pulled away, he flashed her a smile.

"We're still in the middle of the street you know," she said as she grinned back.

"Yes, so we are. But," he replied, his smile widening, "the TARDIS is just a block or so back that way." The Doctor nodded his head to his side.

Nyssa gave him a swift peck on the cheek before taking his hand and dashing back to that bright cobalt box. Seeing that bright blue as she approached was indeed a welcome sight, but, as she decided right there on spot, nothing could quite compare to beige.


End file.
